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garden chat

A cloudy morning inspired some garden photos today. Oddly, I have taken so few photos in the garden this year. It’s been an unusual year out there all around, and though I love my garden I have had a lot of moments at odds with it this summer.

The summer winds have blown it into a crazy mess, which is partly my fault for lack of sufficient supports. Some of my usual staples (such as kale!) didn’t make it this year. My peas all spontaneously died, one after another (tunnelling rodents?). The hoophouse has a ridiculous flea beetle infestation, which has the leaves looking chewed up and ragged. My “live and let live” style of allowing plants to grow where they seed themselves can be fun and whimsical, and bring some great surprises, but it can also create an overwhelming situation in a garden bed. At this point in the season, we are definitely at the overwhelming stage.

But there is a lot that’s going well too, some of which is pictured above. Tomatoes are flowing with today being the biggest harvest so far at about 9 pounds. This spring I had a huge show of volunteer tomato plants, and in one bed they had actually planted themselves in a neat little row. I left quite a few, dug some out to share, and then filled in with intentionally grown starts.

Cucumbers are also flowing, not quite enough to make pickles yet, but we’ve been eating lots of cucumber, tomato and green coriander salads. Beans are starting to come on, and while I think I’ll always grow them and find the plants and beans so beautiful, we are just not green bean fans! If you have a way you like to prepare green beans that you think will convert me, I wanna hear it :)

We have had a really great year with fava beans. I made fava bean falafel recently, at the recommendation of an instagram pal and it was amazing! I plan to make it once more before they’re done, which won’t be long.

Oh! And speaking of “live and let live,” I have had a bumper crop of rocket this year! It is still giving and giving. And I didn’t plant a bit of it. It has been almost our total source of greens this year, which is pretty excellent if you ask me. I LOVE rocket.

I guess I was feeling bodacious this spring, and devoted a bed to corn. I’ve never been sure it would do well here, and it takes a lot of space, but corn! I had to try. I planted up the bed in a sort of 3 sisters style. The corn is still only 3-4 feet high, the ears are so runty and the beans are starting to take it over, but we will see. I’m so curious to pick some. It would be such a luxury to grow abundant sweet corn. I think my soil needs building before I try again. I won’t give up yet :)

So if you have made it this far, you must be into gardening at least a little… so what is happening in yours? What’s doing really well for you, or not that well this year? Are you planting for fall?

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7 Responses

Hi Abby! It’s always nice to read about your gardening adventures. You might try roasting whole green beans with salt and oil until they are almost charring, then dip them in yummy mayo/garlic/lemon/herb sauce. Dilly beans…lacto fermented w/garlic or vinegar style. Pick them small for best flavor. I’ve also made a green bean hummus that’s not bad. I’ve been experimenting with growing corn for drying, then grinding my own polenta. It’s amazing how much corn I get from a small bed!

Thanks Beth, I like that idea! We really need a grill and have been talking about it forever. I will try grilling in the oven though and love the idea of a mayo dipping sauce. Grinding your own polenta – that is awesome.

ha, I’m not a huge fan of green beans either! I do LOVE sugar snap peas and planted more yesterday. Not sure if I”ll get a harvest but worth a try. Fresh corn is so good, I hope you get to taste some of your own. I spent a few hours in my garden yesterday – planted more kale and lettuce and did lots of weeding and eating of tomatoes!

It really is – any size of harvest of your own grown food is such a joy. In the 9th photo is coriander, which is the seed of the cilantro plant. The seeds are delicious green and I try to use as many as I can before they start to dry. Once they dry I harvest them all and store them for cooking.